Be part of this movement

We’re counting on small-dollar donors like you to lead the movement to take on the mega-donors and win local, state, and federal elections.

We’re building the fundraising tools to empower small-dollar donors, but we cannot do it alone. Make a contribution right now to sustain our technology for the fights ahead. Any amount will make a difference.

2018ELECTION CYCLEIN REVIEW

Small-dollar donors proved over the past two years that people power is a winning strategy. Grassroots donors fueled the Democratic takeover in the House, as well as hundreds of victories at the state level. In total, these donors gave more than $1.6 billion through ActBlue during the 2018 election cycle — double the 2016 cycle total — and powered the campaigns and organizations changing the direction of our country. Read on to see how small-dollar donors made history.

SMALL-DOLLARDONOR POWER

From coast to coast, people mobilized like never before by calling their representatives, protesting, volunteering, and donating. Undaunted by a tough midterm map and GOP mega-donors, grassroots donors made a record-breaking 42,093,173 contributions on ActBlue in 2017 and 2018.

$1,662,587,188

Total Dollars Raised

4,940,122

TOTAL UNIQUE DONORS

$39.50

AVERAGE CONTRIBUTION SIZE

14,997

Total unique groups raising on ActBlue

Total dollars raised on ActBlue by election cycle

UNMATCHEDENGAGEMENT

Record numbers of people dedicated their time and resources to the challenge of creating change: running for office, starting resistance groups, and building small-dollar fundraising programs. Groups using ActBlue invested in the power of the grassroots and put millions of small-dollar donors firmly in the driver’s seat.

More groups raising on ActBlue than ever before

More than half of the campaigns and organizations that have ever used ActBlue did so in 2017 and 2018. An incredible number were state and local candidates and organizations leveraging our tools to build powerful small-dollar donor bases down-ballot and help score significant state-level wins. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to see the number of groups on ActBlue, and toggle the individual groups in the color key to customize your cycle-to-cycle comparison.

A HISTORICNIGHT FOR THEGRASSROOTS

Small-dollar donors drove the historic fundraising numbers that Democratic candidates posted this election. This grassroots movement enabled Democrats to compete across the country, sending record numbers of first-time and diverse candidates the critical resources they needed to win and open up our democratic institutions.

54.9%

Of total dollars from individual contributions to Democratic House candidates this cycle were given through ActBlue

61.3%

Of total dollars from individual contributions to Democratic Senate candidates this cycle were given through ActBlue

Percent of House dollars from Individual Contributions raised through ActBlue this election

Small-dollar donors made it possible for Democrats to retake the House by picking up an astounding 40 seats. This chart shows what percent of total dollars from individual contributions to the Democratic class of 2019 came through ActBlue.

Percent of Dollars from Individual Contributions Raised Through ActBlue in Close House Races

Democrats in competitive districts prioritized grassroots giving. You can see this focus at work in the graph below, which displays the percent of total dollars raised from individual contributors that came through ActBlue for the closest House races. Along the x-axis is the Cook Political Report PVI rating, which measures party advantage (either a more Democratic district or a more Republican district). We’ve also included the number of red-to-blue flips for each PVI rating. Tap the blue points on mobile or hover on desktop to see the statistics for each rating.

MILLIONSTOOK ACTIONFOR THEFIRST TIME

The wins on election night would not have been possible without millions of first-time donors who turned their frustration into fuel and gave through ActBlue for the first time in 2017 and 2018. A whole wave of new activists learned that making a small-dollar contribution can help build the future they want to see.

64.2%

OF DONORS WERE FIRST-TIME GIVERS ON ACTBLUE

40.3%

OF FIRST-TIME DONORS GAVE MORE THAN ONCE

37.3%

OF TOTAL DOLLARS CAME FROM FIRST-TIME DONORS

First-time donors by day during the 2018 election cycle

Tens of thousands of first-time donors came off the sidelines this election. Hover over the pink lines on this graph on desktop or tap on mobile to see some of the events that galvanized people to give for the first time at unrivaled levels.

Money raised by new donors by month of first contribution

Donors didn’t stop with a single contribution, either! After being activated, many of these donors made contributions throughout the rest of the election period. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to see how first-time givers grew their donations over the last two years.

WOMENARE MOVINGTHE COUNTRYFORWARD

A historic number of women will be sworn into Congress and state legislative chambers in January — but a record number of women also shaped our future by donating through ActBlue to the candidates they wanted to see in power and the organizations fighting for the issues they care about.

89%

OF WOMEN RUNNING FOR FEDERAL OFFICE WHO WON IN 2018 HAD MORE THAN 50% WOMEN DONORS ON ACTBLUE

60%

OF ALL DONORS THIS CYCLE IDENTIFIED AS WOMEN

Percent of total donors on ActBlue who identified as women

There were more grassroots donors giving on ActBlue than ever this election cycle. And with a larger percent of them identifying as women, women truly drove this grassroots movement.

Women are fueling Democrats across the country

Women were the majority of ActBlue donors in every state across the country! This map’s shading visualizes the increase in percent of women donors from 2016. Hover over states on desktop or tap on mobile to see statistics for each state.

ACTBLUEMAKESIT EASY

Small dollars lead to big change, and we take this mission seriously. Making it easy to give on our platform is more than completing a transaction for us — we’re a nonprofit passionate about empowering millions of people to take action, participate in democracy, and give to groups doing urgent work. We advance these goals by innovating secure and scalable tools so that all campaigns and organizations on the left can fundraise from the grassroots with the best optimizations at their fingertips.

ActBlue Express Giving

With ActBlue Express, donors save their payment information with us and can then give to any campaign or organization on our platform with a single click. Minimizing friction pays off: ActBlue Express users are 60% more likely than non-ActBlue Express users to give multiple donations!

2,409,733

ActBlue Express users added in 2017 and 2018

5,834,957

Total ActBlue Express users

Apple Pay

Small-dollar donors who love giving with Apple Pay are vocal about it. And with 43% of contributions on ActBlue made via mobile devices, we want all of our donors to have a streamlined mobile giving experience. Plus, making tools like Apple Pay available on every ActBlue form adds up to big dollars that sustain the good work of groups using our platform.

Donor Activity on ActBlue

The ActBlue Team Traveled All Over the map

Our team attended a whopping 181 events and trainings in 2017 and 2018 to help Democratic campaigns, progressive organizations, and nonprofits of all sizes use our tools to harness the power of small-dollar donors. As we eye the future, we’re excited to continue expanding our state and local reach and help more groups learn how to build grassroots donor programs.

Small-dollar donors are just getting started.

Millions of small-dollar donors made a historic impact on the 2018 election cycle — steering our democracy back on course, fueling a new generation of changemakers, and transforming the priorities of our politics. Small-dollar donors are investing in the change they want to see and are ready to shape the 2020 presidential election, redistricting efforts, and beyond.

Lifetime Volume

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